1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical switches, and more particularly, the present invention relates to devices for selectively coupling optical fibers or waveguides.
2. Background of the Invention
The increasing demand for high-speed voice and data communications has led to an increased reliance on optical communications, particularly optical fiber communications. The use of optical signals as a vehicle to carry channeled information at high speeds is preferred in many instances to carrying channeled information at other electromagnetic wavelengths/frequencies in media such as microwave transmission lines, co-axial cable lines and twisted pair transmission lines. Advantages of optical media are, among others, high-channel (bandwidth), greater immunity to electromagnetic interference, and lower propagation loss. In fact, it is common for high-speed optical communication system to have signal rates in the range of approximately several Giga bits per second (Gbit/sec) to approximately several tens of Gbit/sec.
One way of carrying information in an optical communication system, for example an optical network, is via an array of optical fibers. Ultimately, the optical fibers may be coupled to another array of waveguides, such as another optical fiber array, or a waveguide array of an optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC). In order to assure the accuracy of the coupling of the fiber array to another waveguide array, it becomes important to accurately position each optical fiber in the array.
Optical switches serve a variety of applications in optical communication systems. Once type of such optical switches are mechanical switches. Mechanical optical switches have been used in a variety of optical fiber routing applications to switch between particular optical signal pads to provide reliable optical transmission routes for carrying optical signals.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical switch includes first and second waveguide holding members each having a stepped surface configuration defined by an upper surface region, a lower surface region and a transverse region which separates the upper and lower surface regions. At least one first optical waveguide has an end which terminates at the transverse region of the first waveguide holding member, and at least one second optical waveguide has an end which opposes the end of the first optical waveguide and which terminates at the transverse region of the second waveguide holding member. A guide member guides the first and second waveguide holding members relative to each other to operatively couple and decouple the opposing ends of first and second optical waveguides.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical switch includes a first waveguide holding member having a stepped convex surface configuration and a second waveguide holding member having a stepped concave surface configuration. An upper surface region of the first waveguide holding member includes no at least one transitional optical waveguide. Also, an upper surface region of the second waveguide holding member includes at least one input optical waveguide, and another upper surface region of the second waveguide holding member includes at least one output waveguide. The respective surface regions are aligned such that the transitional optical waveguide is interposed between the input optical waveguide and the output is optical waveguide. A guide member guides the first and second waveguide holding members relative to each other to operatively couple and decouple the ends of the input and output optical waveguides to opposing ends of the transitional optical waveguide.